Resilient shoe soles



March 5, 1963 M. HACK ETAL 3,079,708

RESILIENT SHOE soLEs Filed May 23, 1962 FIG. 3

zNvENToRs NORTON HACK, LEONARD HACK a I8 :WW/77777;

22 6 FIG. 5 Mm ATTORNEY BY BENJAMIN w. COLMAN United States Patentiilice v 3,079,708 Patented Mar. 5, 1963 Woods, Mich.

Filed May 23, 1962, Ser. No. 197,116 Claims. (Cl. lid- 28) Thisinvention relates to shoe soles made of a resilient material, and moreparticularly to a shoe sole having a iiexing, cushioning action as thewearer walks, runs or jumps upon the sole.

This application is a continuation-impart of our copending patentapplication, Serial No. 859,175, led December 14, 1959, for ResilientShoe Soles.

The subject matter of this application is a continuationin-part of U.S.Patent No. 2,930,149 for Resilient Shoe Sole and Wedge Construction.

The invention involves a shoe sole of resilient material which is offull shoe length, i.e. from toe to heel. The sole is provided with aground plane contacting body having a relatively smooth under side. Thebody has on its upper side a series of integrally formed upwardly andangularly inclined transverse rib members that are in Contact with thebottom of the shoe base or with a wedge layer, as the case may be.Circumscribing and enclosing the side edges of the shoe sole of thisinvention is a thin peripheral band of resilient material, identifiedhereafter as a foXing strip, which is secured to the sole edge and tothe shoe base or wedge. The top edge of each of the transverse ribmembers may be secured to the shoe base or wedge in order to providesome securement directly to the shoe base structure. However, suchsecurement is optional and not strictly essential. The resilient shoesole of this invention may be modified as will be shown and describedbelow.

The shoe embodying the novel sole arrangement here disclosed has a soft,cushioning feel when walked on, accompanied by a forward gliding motionas the rib members eX forwardly in the direction of their inclinationunder load. ln addition, the encircling band of resilient materialcloses off the open spaces between the rib members from an accumulationof water, mud, snow or other such elements. The ground plane contactingbody of the sole functions as a closed wear surface.

1t is an object of the invention to provide a resilient sole for a shoein which a series of angularly inclined upwardly directed transverse ribmembers are integrally formed with a sole body which has a relativelysmooth ground plane contacting surface. Another object is to providesuch a shoe sole with rib members that flex in the direction of theirinclination. A further object is to provide such a sole with aperipheral encircling, enclosing band of resilient material secured tothe sole edge and to the shoe structure, to provide a closed sole for ashoe.

These and additional objects of the invention and features ofconstruction will be more fully presented in the description of theinvention which follows, and in which the terms employed are used forpurposes of description and not of limitation.

Reference is here made to the drawings annexed hereto and in which FIG.1 is a side elevational View of the shoe arrangement embodying theinvention.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken longitudinally andsubstantially medially of the structure shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional View taken sub stantially onthe line 3 3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of a heel structureembodying the invention, substantially similar to the heel portion ofthe sole illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2.

PIG. 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of the forward toeportion of the shoe of FIGS. 1 and 2, showing a modified arrangement forsecurement of the sole of the shoe base at the toe end of the shoe.

As shown in the several views of the drawing, and particularly in FIGS.1, 2, 3 and 5, the shoe 10 comprises an upper 12, a shoe base 14, aresilient shoe sole 16 and a foxing strip 1S circumscribing andenclosing the sole. One form of securement of the sole 16 to the shoebase 14 comprises applying a thin layer of adhesive 20 upon the uppersurface of the forepart of the sole and a coating layer of adhesive 22around and upon the edges of the sole to secure the faxing strip 18thereto. Thereafter, the foxing strip at its inturned peripheral edge 24can be secured to the shoe base 14 by stitching 26, as clearly shown inFIG. 2, or by the adhesive 20 as shown in FIG. 5.

The sole 16 of the shoe comprises a ground plane con tacting body 2Shaving a relatively smooth under side 30, a solid forepart or tapportion 32 whose upper side 34 is coated with the adhesive 20 forsecurement tothe shoe base 14, a rear heel or wedge portion 36 having onits upper side a longitudinally extending series of spaced y paralleltransverse rib members 3S. These rib members are inclined upwardly andforwardly and have their forward faces 4d converging with rear faces 42in a shoe base supporting juncture or edge 44. The rib members may be ofuniform height or may be of varying heights designed to accommodate theconfiguration and the angularity or curvature of the under side of theshoe base supported by the rib members.

The modification illustrated fragmentarily in FIG. 5 provides forsecurement of the foxing strip 18 not only to the peripheral edge of thesole 16 by adhesive layer 22,

but also full securement of the inturned edge 24 of the foxing strip bythe adhesive layer 20, whereby no stitching is required.-

A modification of the heel portion of the sole 16 illustrated in FIGS. land 2 is that shown in FIG. 4, wherein a heel 5t) comprises a bodyportion 52 having a relatively smooth ground plane contacting under side54 secured to the heel base 56 by a foxing strip 58 which isperipherally attached to the heel 50 and to the heel base` 56 by 1alayer of adhesive 60. The heel Si) is provided at its upper side withspaced parallel transversely extending rib members 62 whose front faces64 converge with rear faces 66 to form a heel base supporting junctureor edge 68.

The sole 16 and the heel 50 by their transversely extending rib members'provide a cushioning sole and heel having a yielding action resultingfrom theI flexing of the rib members in the direction of theirinclination as A'the heel or heel portion of the sole cornes down intoengagement with a ground plane surface under load of the-shoe wearer.The ribs, being inclined forwardly, flex forwardly under load and thusyield resiliently to cushion the heel and foot in walking.

By providing the sole 16 and the heel 50 with a rela- -tively smoothground plane contacting surface or under side, the pick-up of dirt, mud,stones, grass and other surface materials is substantially avoided. Thefoxing strip 18 or 58 encloses the open spaces formed by thelongitudinally extending series of spaced rib members, to preventingress of Water, mud or other materials which may be picked up inwalking.

In operation, the sole 16 or heel 50, when secured by the abovespecified foxing strips to the shoe base or heel base as the case maybe, perform the desirable and signicant function of cushioning the shockof walking upon a hard ground plane surface which oftentimes causes thewearer of relatively non-resilient soles or heels considerable heelshock and fatigue. This function is performed by the forward anddownward flexing of the rib member 38 or 62 against the shoe base 14 orthe heel base 56, as the case may be. This forward flexing or flexing inthe direction of inclination of the rib members under load of the shoewearer in walking provides a softer cushioning or gliding feeling to thewearer of shoes having a sole 16 or a heel 50 secured thereto.

The sole is preferably made -of a resilient material such as rubber, arubber composition, or a flexible resilient plastic material wherebyflexibility to the rib members is imparted so that they flex under loadin walking. The adhesive for securement of the sole or heel to thefoxing strips and to the shoe base is selected from among manycommercially available to the trade. The shoe upper portion 12 ispreferably made of leather, or it may be made of other materials such asplastic, fabric, textiles and other similar materials. In addition, thefoxing strips may be molded to or with the shoe upper or shoe base andthe sole or heel secured to such foxing strip.

Having described the invention in its simplest terms, it is to beunderstood that the features of construction may be changed or varied ingreater or lesser degree without departing from the essence of theinvention defined in the appended claims.

We claim:

l. In combination with la shoe having a shoe base,

a resilient sole secured to said shoe under said shoe base, said solehaving a ground plane surface contacting body, and a longitudinallyextending series of transverse parallel rib members inclined forwardlyat its upper surface in the heel portion of said body,

said rib members having their front and rear faces converging upwardlyfrom said body to conjunctive edges arranged in load supportingrelationship at and under said shoe base, and a peripheral resilientfoxing strip about said sole and secured to said shoe sole and shoebase, whereby when said body is engaged upon said ground plane surfacein Walking said rib members will ex in the direction of theirinclination under weight.

2. In combination with a shoe having a shoe base,

a resilient sole secured to said shoe under said shoe base, lsaid solehaving a ground plane surface contacting body, and a longitudinallyextending series of transverse par.

allel rib members inclined forwardly at its upper surface in the heelportion of said body,

said rib members having their front and rear faces converging upwardlyfrom said body to conjunctive edges arranged in load supportingrelationship at and under said shoe base,

whereby when said body is engaged upon said ground plane surface inwalking said rib members will ex in the direction of their inclinationunder weight.

3. In combination with a shoe having a heel base,

a resilient heel secured to said shoe under said heel base,

and a peripheral resilient foxing strip about'said heel and secured tosaid heel and heel base, whereby when said body is engaged upon saidground plane surface in walking said rib members will llex in thedirection of their inclination under weight. 4. in combination with ashoe having a wedge layer portion,

A a resilient` sole secured to said shoe under said wedge Y layerportion, said sole having a ground plane surface contacting body, and alongitudinally extending series of transverse parallel rib membersinclined forwardly at its upper surface in the heel portion of saidbody,

said rib members having their front and rear faces converging upwardlyfrom said body to conjunctive edges arranged in load supportingrelationship at and under said wedge layer portion, and a peripheralresilient foxing strip about said sole and secured to said shoe sole andwedge layer portion, whereby when said body is engagedupon said groundplane surface in walking said rib members will flex in the direction oftheir inclination under weight. 5. In combination with a shoe having awedge layer portion,

a resilient sole secured to said shoe under said wedge layer portion,said sole having aY ground plane surface contacting body, Vand alongitudinally extending series of transverse parallel rib membersinclined forwardly atits upper surface in the heel portion of said body,said rib members having their front and rear faces converging upwardlyfrom said body to conjunctive edges arranged in load supportingrelationship at and under said wedge layer portion, whereby when saidbody is engaged upon said ground plane surface in walking said ribmembers will flex in the direction of their inclination under weight.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,527,414 Hallgren Oct. 24, 1950 2,710,461 Hack June 14, 1955 2,815,589Sears Dec. 10, 1957

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A SHOE HAVING A SHOE BASE, A RESILIENT SOLESECURED TO SAID SHOE UNDER SAID SHOE BASE, SAID SOLE HAVING A GROUNDPLANE SURFACE CONTACTING BODY, AND A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING SERIES OFTRANSVERSE PARALLEL RIB MEMBERS INCLINED FORWARDLY AT ITS UPPER SURFACEIN THE HEEL PORTION OF SAID BODY, SAID RIB MEMBERS HAVING THEIR FRONTAND REAR FACES CONVERGING UPWARDLY FROM SAID BODY TO CONJUNCTIVE EDGESARRANGED IN LOAD SUPPORTING RELATIONSHIP AT AND UNDER SAID SHOE BASE,AND A PERIPHERAL RESILIENT FOXING STRIP ABOUT SAID SOLE AND SECURED TOSAID SHOE SOLE AND SHOE BASE, WHEREBY WHEN SAID BODY IS ENGAGED UPONSAID GROUND PLANE SURFACE IN WALKING SAID RIB MEMBERS WILL FLEX IN THEDIRECTION OF THEIR INCLINATION UNDER WEIGHT.